comment by governor romney add we reported here extensively was nothing but the truth. >> i don't believe we can get very far with leaders who write off half the nation as victims who never take responsibility for their own lives. [cheers and applause] and i've got to tell you as i travel around ohio and as i look out on the crowd, i don't see a loot of victims. i see hard working ohioans. that's what i see. lou: governor romney sticking to the facts today hitting the president on the lackluster economic report record since taking office. >> do we really want four more years with 23 million americans struggling to find a good job? do we want four more years where half the kids coming out of college can't find work or college level work? do we want four more years where every single year the take home

pay goes down? do we want four more years of trillion dollar deficits? i don't believe we can afford four more years like the last four years. lou: a new report highlights governor rome -- governor romney's criticisms showing household incomes fell by an average rate of more than 8%. the census bureau revealing the number of people in poverty rose by 3 million in the first three years of the obama administration. we'll take all of that here tonight with former economic adviser to president reagan, economists, author laffer, and digital politics editor, and former bush adviser brad blakeman to separate facts from fiction in the world of presidential polls and strategies. early voting has presidential votes cast in more than half the country by next week.

shannon has our report. the president's poll numbers in ohio getting a boost from stronger economic numbers, but there's head winds pressuring the campaign. the white house chief correspondent, ed henry, reports. >> since early voting starts tuesday here in ohio, it was a familiar script for president obama on his 29th visit to the buckeye state hitting yet another university, this time bowling green to exploit young voters. >> october 2nd, just six days from now, you get to start voting. >> the president is benefiting this the state's unemployment rate being a point lower than the national average. on the issue that's supposed to be republican mitt romney's strength, the economy, he's trailing the president with a "new york times" news poll showing on the question of who can better handle it, ohio

voters give the president an edge of 51% to 45%. >> i woke up every day doing everything i can to give american workers a fair shot in the global economy. >> there's danger signs. they declared ceos see slower economic growth the rest of the year with lower expectations for sales, capital expenditures, and hiring. the chairman of the round table, boeing chairman, said in a statement, quote, "the down shift in quarterly sentiment reflects continuing concern about the strength of the recovery including uncertainty over the approaching fiscal cliff." the sour report is more significant because he chairs the president's export council. >> i know that all of us, business or government, share the goal of strengthening our economy and creating more jobs. >> another vulnerability for the president could be the deficit promising to cut it in half by the end of the first term, but it's topped $1 trillion for four straight jeers.

the "new york times" poll found in ohio romney has a slim 4-point lead on the deficit, and the "washington post" fact checkers gave the president four pinnochios for claiming the boost came from the leftover bush policies. >> that accounts for 10% for the increase in the deficit. >> the economy is front and center a week from tonight at the first presidential debate in november, and two days later, he'll brace for the september jobs report. lou? low low thank -- lou: casting a different picture for the race for the white house as gallop shows president obama stephens the lead 50-44 over governor romney showing that candidates could be locked in dead heat at 46%. joining me to break down the numbers is fox news digital

politics editor and republican strategist and former member, george w. bush's senior staff, brad blakeman. great to have you here. starting can you, brad, taking refuge in thed why there's bad methodology and lousy sampling in the polls. are the polls, in fact, questionable? >> well, we'll know soon enough, but i happen to think they are, and one of the reasons why i say that, lou, is because the modeling's being done on numbers of, like, 2008, where we had a high turnout, obviously, for obama, and, yet, the enthuse yam is not taken into account for the polls because we have a more enthusiastic base than the president. using the modeling of the turnout in 2008, and, yet, they say the enthusiasm for the republicans is at the all-time high. lou: which is the most accurate now given your reservation? >> i think real clear politics probably has the most accurate

information. i urge people to look at larry's crystal ball. lou: okay. chris, your thoughts? are the polls flawed faye -- fatally, and are they, in fact, questionable? >> brad, you know the correct answer is the fox news poll is the best. >> of course, of course, the fox news boll poll is the best. lou: we assumed that. >> obviously, and it's stipulated into evidence. now, look, polls are not predictive, but snapshots. it's like trying to find big foot out in the wilderness. you get pictures of the same thing and people disagree about what's in there. what's going on in the polls? there's good track records, and first of all, the thing you want to look at in a poll like that is not what the top line number is because that -- this is not a football game. that's not the score. lou: if i may say, chris, it's not broadcast without end. can you help me out here,

partner? >> yes, here's what i can tell you. methodology is okay because what they are doing is not looking for a set number. lou: they are reliable, putting forward a picture, that's in your judgment, at least intellectually rigorous, if not entirely perfect. we should look at them as being reasonable snapshots then? >> yes, and remember republicans out perform polls. history tells us that. republicans vote with more frequently and regular tear than democrats. lou: they should be delighted this year then, brad, because they have to out perform in a significant way. >> absolutely. >> we look at ohio as we put up the numbers on those swing states, florida, virginia, ohio, and ohio, double digit leads. the governor's there, so is the president. i mean, look at those polls. it's stunning stuff. >> well, i think what romney needs to do in places like ohio

is go dreactly to the people, and one way to do that is not through 30 or 60 second commercials, but buy state time in the next coming weeks for 15 minute infomecials and talk about the choices between obama or romney and speak in serious venues. get away from the rallies and talk to, you know, the cincinnati chamber of commerce. he should be -- lou: excuse me? wait a minute, brad, with all do respect, that would be an electric moment in electoral history if he were to move to the chamber of commerce. i respect the judgment mightily, but that one -- >> he needs to speak to serious people at serious venues to talk policy. you don't get that across at a rally or across to the people in a 30 second sound bite. lou: the polls, do they agree on the strengths and weaknesses? do they reveal that? you talk about the seriousness of a moment in which it's

captured for free media, but the reality is that there are strengths and weaknesses, it seems, at work here, otherwise, there would be, i suppose, an outright tie between the two. chris, are there stengths that are being revealed here? weaknesses revealed on all of the polls? >> yeah, here's something to keep very much in mind. here's how the electorat looks different in 2008 and 2010 -- lou: i want to be clear, not for the elective, but for the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates. >> quite so. here's the strength if you are mitt romney. independents are up. a lot more independents and romney wins with independentings. that's the key to the election for him is that independents are tracking his way and continuing to on his side. lou: right. that's confirmed across the broad range of the rather desperate results we see from all of the polls? >> yes. as you look at the overall picture, romney continues to perform well with independents,

and the president solidified the base. romney's base with him all along, but the independents have a romney lead, and that's the best piece of news for romney. lou: brad, following up won -- on what chris said, with your good council and other luminaries in the republican party, the governor is lacking a unified chorus besides and surrounding him whether it's boehner, the head of the national committee, the senate, and the congressional committees, there is not one, if you will, foundation that's been created by the party for the romney voice to the american people. >> and you're absolutely right, but at the end of the day, people vote for mitt myth. it's going to come down to him being able to communicate a message -- lou: no, no, brad, i understand that. i understand that the republican party continues at this rate, with some of the nonsense coming out of now, home districts rather than capitol hill or from

a state for senator, forth with a great view on his own personal foreign policy values, i mean, it's -- this is stuff stuff for the governor to stomach, isn't it? >> it is. when you have a spat with the governor of the important state of ohio as to what the messaging should be, the messaging should be that obama doesn't get the credit for ohio doing well in a bad economy, but it's a republican governor using republican principle, and if i were mitt romney, i would have him out there he heralding the d work he's done as governor. lou: with all of the disasters at the foot of this -- at the feet of this president, i -- i mean, does president obama have any weakness whatsoever, and then we have to wrap it up? >> massive. it's debt, deficit, size of

government, role of government, and romney has been talking about that in ohio. it's his very best issue, size of government, debt and deaf -- deficit, and he could swing the ax. we'll see if he sustains that. lieu 4r50u thank you very -- lou: thank you very much. we'll have more on the presidential election and the polls here with the a-team next. chaos in parts of europe, spaniards and greeks take to the streets demonstratorring against severe cut backs in their lifestyles and their government. to them, austerity is a dirty word, and it's one that may soon have new meaning for americans. the economist on how to survive our fiscal cliff. president obama blames anti-american protests still on the amateurish internet video in the face of denials from his own intelligence agencies and world

leaders and muslim leaders at the united nations are calling for what sounds like a global fate. the experts join us next. ♪

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lou: iranian president ahmadinejad addressing the nations on the yom yom kippur

holy day. we'll talk about this in moments, but on wall street today, stocks moving lower again on mixed reaction to housing developments and anxiety over the european debt crisis that persists. the dow jones industrial average down 45 points today, and the s&p fell eight, a five day losing streak now for the s&p500. home sales slipping last month, and economists had been expecting a stronger increase in the sales. how many prices, however, themselves, raising to the highest level in five years, and meanwhile, a survey found 29% of the ceos planned to hire more workers over the next six months, down from 36% since back in june. a separate survey shows the majority of them, 67%, figure there's too much uncertainty to extend business or to hire new

employees. as a matter of interest, we wanted to show you two companies whose shares remained public while stable over five years. they are big companies. con agra and microsoft. it's been, if you will, a lost five years in terms of stock price for the two companies, and seemingly, without comment. we just made a little comment. stocks ending $3 higher than the same date back in 2008. well, turning now to international politics, secretary of state hillary clinton reportedly indicating for the first time today that the attack on our consulate in libya two weeks ago in benghazi and the murder of our ambassador may have been a terrorist attack. secretary clinton admitted, quote, "terrorists seeking to extend their reach working with violent extremists as we saw in benghazi." joining me is the security animal -- animal cyst --

analyst who workedded for ford and reagan. before we go to al-qaeda, libya, and the statements by the administration, go to what's happening at the united nations. >> uh-huh. lou: the president declines any bilateral meeting with any world leader this week. he gives a speech. will be interesting to hear your take on. he moves off to campaign while morsi and ahmadinejad basically talk about embracing the world and creating a new architecture for world government. what do you make of that? >> that's scary, isn't it. the leader of the free world, who, a year ago, was talking about the world that he envisioned, the great democracy is now at the united nations cringing to talk about the murder of the american diplomats, that it's not our fault, but a reaction to a youtube video. i mean, where was president obama? he didn't sound like a great

world leader, but on the other hand, you have the new president of egypt, and what did he talk about? he talked about a new policy towards the middle east. he talked about egypt having a bigger role in the world, and then there was ahmadinejad of iran. that's his swan song. he's not addressing the united nation, and he talked about a new world order iran leads collecting the nonaligned nations. he sees a whole new anti-american coalition. lou: think about where we are, folks. we're talking about two men who dominate both the meeting at the general assembly and the press. one is sunni, one a shia, both talking about, one could seem, a global call lo fate leaving some folks in the dust of history from their perspective, that is, namely us. >> we were ire irrelevant in the

conversation. the middle east had the plates shift in middle east. the arab spring, arab awakening, looked like president obama of the united states was helping to rest that. now we are, 18 months later, they burn the american flag in the streets, anti-american movements all over, killing u.s. ambassadors, attacks united states' embassies. where have we come in 18 months, and at the same time, the president of the united states rather than asserting america's leadership role in the world is off to campaign. lou: off to campaign, and mean while, some is public perception, and that is four more missiles fired by the iranians, seems that they have an unlimited number to show off whenever ahmadinejad makes a major appearance or makes a major point, and at the same time, we have the chinese with a vigorous space program underway, the russians, and the principle

space power because they're the only ones who can routinely go into space to reach the international space station in lower earth orbit. it is a bizarre retreat of american power and technology and advancement and to hear that the very people who we have been, you know, so concerned about, ie, iranians, are seemingly carrying out an aggressive space policy through missiles, certainly, that the military program, is stunning, and the message to the rest of the emerging world. >> where's the united states? every metric you measure education, united states is not number one, math, science, engineering, any of these, we are not. we are not in the top ten in most. there's a whole perception. to me, it's similar to the united states in the late 1980s a that we're on the decline. we're a civilization whose days is past. i don't think that's the true case, but as you pointed out,

perceptions matter a lot, and that's the perception. lou: is there a perception, as well, that governor romney can change it? >> well, i hope so. lou: that could be his political fortune and the fate of the nature. >> i wish he'd learn how to talk to women. if he could say, do you have any college age kids? guess what, half will not get a job. they will all have student loans they can't repay, but he's not talking to people in that way. lou: i'm not sure i can help him in all how to talk, but i can give a few tips on listening. thank you very much. >> thank you. lou: up next, one of the enduring images of the so-called occupy demonstrations. california students pepper sprayed at an apparently peaceful protest, other than the pepper spray. we'll tell you how this -- these folks, well, they are capitalizing. you'll be impressed by how. polls open for early voting for half the country in less than a week. which party ben dits?

shannon green has the report when we come back.

lou: election day november 6. the race could be lost because of early voting. north carolina, virginia, wisconsin have already begun of mail and absentee voting. and ohio will start next week. here to tell us of the impact is shannon greenspan mac president obama won the 2008 but this time voters

maybe split. it has to do who feels more motivated and enthusiastic. but experts warned common mistakes mean that early boats will not count. >> 400,000 ballots were rejected because voters did not follow proper procedures , the witness signature or did not sign the envelope. >> the obama campaign to a mu bet the fact of the matter is you have to be on message all the time that is whether you're republican or democrat or independent. i think for republicans specifically, that message

needs to be crystal clear. i think that is why governor romney is being so specific as he is campaigning right now because you realize votes are being cast. >> analysts say they believe about 35% of this year's presidential ballots will be cast before election day. lou: shannon, an impressive number indeed. we'll have more on the impact of early voting in the election. we'll take that up with "the a-team" coming up here next. protests in greece, outrage in spain as many european countries are forced to slipping their massive government spending. are we seeing the end of the euro or the other side of the fiscal cliff? former reagan economic advisor, economist arthur laffer joins us. the republicans shun congressman todd akin's campaign in missouri. >> these were reprehensible and deplorable comments and there is no way he can recover in my opinion. so our group decided if he remains the nominee there is no reason to throw good

money after bad by, by trying to win this seat. lou: now surprising facing rallying around him as republicans look to take over the senate. president obama with the time to be on day time television but not enough to meet with world leaders. and now the obama campaign claims the president's too busy governing to prep for the debates. which is it? campaigning, governing, what's the deal? "the a-team" tells us. [ owner ] i need to expand to meet the needs of my growing business. but how am i going to fund it? and i have to find a way to manage my cash flow better. [ female announcer ] our wells fargo bankers are here to listen, offer guidance and provide you with options tailored to your business. we've loaned more money to small businesses than any other bank for ten years running. so come talk to us to see how we can help.

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lou: demonstrations this of an era -- spaniards against budget cuts erupted today. police in athens throwing gasoline -- teargas from those three molotov cocktails those challenging the spending cuts to satisfy

international lenders. we will talk about that was arthur laffer. the spanish stock index tumbled after the central bank announced it is in sharp decline unemployment at 24%. it will submit the 2013 draft budget as it convinces investors it can handle the debt. both the president and romney have competing economic visions and they are in ohio as the country moves closer to the fiscal cliff. with the biggest tax increase in history, arthur laffer from the reagan policy board and chairman of

laffer and associates is here. good to have you here. >> it is a pleasure. lou: with those competing visions, the romney campaign asks question from 1980. are you better off than four years ago? but in 2008 the country was in crisis. why would you pick as your comparison? >> they should say do want to form war years of what you had? >> is an art ronald reagan he mentioned private army, privatization, he did not spend time on

touchy-feely family and kids nor did he apologize. the mitt romney tax rate at 14%. everybody should pay that. it is fine for mitt romney and should be the same. lou: why would somebody say the white house tries to define us on taxes so project the impact on the budget deficit if everyone had been paying 14%. that would result in a mountain of cash. >> exactly. jerry brown propose this went from eight in the race to second place. he would have run if he did

not name jesse jackson as the running mate. the democrats started it. lou: i meant. [laughter] that jerry brown went on that way word path. >> you never know about jerry. lou: there is the problem. >> we do know about this president but we don't know about governor romney. shame on his staff. he is then with than wonder two points of the ed dead heat. should he start talking about leadership or focus on the economy? >> he should not be apologetic.

tax cuts come up broaden the base, all of them, everybody pay my tax rate, i get the economy going, i want everyone to make what i did. the obama rate is the same as mitt romney. the problem is jobs and output and if you need more investment. lou: do you think everybody is prepared to be adults? governor romney, the republicans and democrats to talk about what it means the business practices followed, over $1 trillion. absolutely withdrawn because these are agnostic these

companies are american corporations. they're absolutely destructive to the middle-class. neither have been willing to address the issues. why day are not investing and nobody with the debts to say we will not put any more money into training programs because we have to invest in education. >> i am on a little podium. i would fall over. we could bring that back quickly. give it the correct tax rate lou: another way to do it

the mattel the ceos -- tell the ceo we will do what is right. you ask you to start to bringing them money home. we will give you modest relief be will invest in this country to have access to our markets. you will pay american taxes because we need your commitment desperately. >> you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. lou: that is vinegar? the president tells people when have to pay more taxes. [talking over each other]

>> we have 97 votes in the senate three democrats voted against us or of the highest rate down a 20% and really worked. all of these democrats voted for it. dick durbin, barbara boxer. lou: you talk about $1 trillion of national dell at -- national pepper now is $16 trillion. you know, that this is the most overstimulated economy imaginable. >> gettelfinger it is stimulus spending but it is taxes. spending is taxation. >> you know, that i don't support stimulus spending.

lou: what impact will that have with the over stimulated the economy? >> it is crazy. lou: we cannot go back to the old ways but those who do with policy with the economy we have. >> ehud are scaring me. old-line accounting is still good. sound money, a free trade come amenable regulation, low rates of flat taxes and spending restraint. stand back and the economy welcome back bringing down the deficit. i guarantee. lou: i stand up. [laughter] lou: of party hopeful from misery, akin is awash with

new support with a new fund-raiser. john bolton tomorrow on why he will not call enacted terror. with all the opinions about stocks out there,

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mike huckabee kumbaya gingrich come and they are all backing him again and with governor huckabee has been a stalwart supporter. they say they will make republicans pay and clear mccaskill is up by five points. some may say only five points. university of california will pay $5 million to the students who were pepper sprayed. they will receive a formal letter of apology from the chancellor and about $30,000 each and the officer has now left his post. the nfl is close to the deal

with the three month lockout there under considerable pressure after the debacle with the seattle seahawks and green bay packers game. an agreement is in principle but that is where we are right now. do polls have the president with a significant lead. with a significant lead. can the polls be trusted? want to try to crack it? yeah, that's the way to do it! now we need a little bit more... a little bit more vanilla? this is great! [ male announcer ] at humana, we believe there's never been a better time to share your passions... because the results... are you having fun doing this? yeah. that's a very nice cake! [ male announcer ] well, you can't beat them. [ giggles ] ohh!

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lou: joining me now the "a team" doug shoen, michael

could win, and curtis, let's start with you. ahmadinejad, what do make of it? >> brothers of solidarity. it did not just take him out. he has to get it from somebody so the lights have gone dark with ahmadinejad that i am in the mood for a jihad. lou: i thought it was ahmadinejad was looking for lost souls for the new world order? >> birds of a feather. maybe fairer kind would like to go back with him. >> i will buy the one-way

ticket. lou: this is a peculiar time we're morsi is the two most dominant personalities and the president is dismissing his rule. >> don't forget they went to a ron -- i ran. something is going on. with ahmadinejad and also throughout the mideast and is a very dangerous time for the president to step aside. >> i agree. i would pervert the president lecturing president morsi of bellevue's of the loom we give aid rather than the people of ohio.

lou: but the money we give comes from tribeca -- china with no support. >> suni vs. shia. they kill one another and they want us to do the dirty work for our egypt and qatar wants us to take out to ahmadinejad. they want to be the power. they want us to do the heavy lifting. >> no question we are played for fools. but it seems the united states has not learned anything. >> one word wish we had heard of a terrorism and the

least that happened on 9/11 and we will not stand for it lou: but we have. we continue he does not use the word terror were the zero phrase or radical islam. he used the word terror one times. >> with stephens in those killed in libya, he did not even name the two seals who stood up running to the defense of the ambassador who was assassinated and it has taken two weeks to make knowledge it is terror. >> he is not it knowledge that. i think he dishonors their memory or sacrifice by not being honest.

>> have been we've been here before? how many years later he is on the white house lawn well bill clinton is in their with monaco wednesday? >> he gets the nobel peace prize. >> so did obama's. >> pre-emptively. >> it must been with the work with israel and the palestinians. >> winnow at a point* where the middle east peace process seems blocked. if obama it is reelected because of the evidence of the romney campaign where do rego after november 6th? >> the accompaniment of

constituencies throughout the country who find it too easy for those leaders. >> governor romney has your compelling rhetoric. >> either we have a choice or we will not. you have 41-- to figure out. you have 41-- to figure out. >> ely. but because of business people like you, things are beginning to get rolling. and regions is here to help. making it easier with the expertise and service to keep those wheels turning. from business loans to cash management,

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so go to legalzoom.com today and see for yourself. it's law that just makes sense. lou: a quick e-mail. our country of founded on strength, bill says. what would president reagan do? good night from new york. neil: some numbers for you, fron41,7, 10, 41 days until elen day, 10 days until first debut, 10 points is ahead in the polls. i am neil cavuto. this is it, turn it on fast or stick a fork in your campaign now, ohio is a trend, president's lead widening in florida,